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Phil Hughes has been the Yankees best starter this year, despite entering spring training having to compete for the fifth spot in New York’s rotation.  But the Yankees are now pissed he’s pitching too well, so he must sit.  The dumb bastard has won 10 games, but he’s needed 82.1 innings to do it — nearly matching his total of 86 from last year when he had the best year of his young career coming out of the bullpen.  With Hughes turning 24 on Thursday the Yankees are still babying him just like they’ve done Jaba Chamberlain, so they’re skipping his next turn in the rotation and making him wait 9 days between starts.  That should give me a chance to cool his heels and think good and hard if he really wants to keep that 3.17 ERA of his.

“We can’t be short-sighted,” said gutless Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “We have to think of this year, and we also have to think of his future and not hurt this kid.”  Granted Hughes has never pitched more than 146 innings in a professional season, but there’s no proof that holding him back will help him stay healthy or pitching well this year or any other year.  And if any team can afford to err on the side of getting everything they can out of a pitcher while the getting is good, it would have to be the Yankees with their absurd and unmatched payroll and revenue advantages.

Hughes though isn’t complaining — he just feels loved:

I mean, they’re being on the safe side and I respect that because they obviously have my best interests in mind. Anytime an organization does that, you’re on board with it.